As the final ballots are tallied from the mid-term elections, the 38 North Solutions team is taking stock of how changes in the make-up of both House and Senate could impact clean energy and innovation public policy. On the House side, the decisions on Speaker and key Chairmanships will likely take place the week after […]
White House Releases “Skinny” Budget: Extreme Diet for Clean Energy and Innovation
The Trump Administration released today what is known as the “skinny” budget because of the lack of specifics, and, while this is more of a political statement than a political reality, it is clear that any program remotely related to climate or clean energy is recommended for the chopping block. Climate programs like the Global […]
Reuters: Solar, wind industries hope years courting Republicans pays off under Trump
Article originally published on Reuters here. By Nichola Groom | LOS ANGELES U.S. wind and solar companies for the first time gave more money to Republicans than Democrats during the 2016 election cycle, according to federal campaign disclosures, part of a years-long effort to expand renewable energy’s appeal beyond liberal environmentalists. The industry is now […]
What Do the Results of the 2016 Election Mean For Clean Energy in DC?
The results of this week’s election are certainly a surprise and will impact the focus and direction of policymakers moving forward. As we look ahead, historically, Congress is most active when one party controls the House of Representatives, Senate and White House. We expect 2017 to follow this trend, particularly because Republicans campaigned, in part, […]
Tax Extenders Loom as Deck Chairs Shuffled in Senate
Last week as newly installed Ambassador Baucus headed for China, Senator Mary Landrieu took the helm of Senate Energy and Natural Resources and Senator Ron Wyden moved over to Chair Senate Finance, shifting his focus from energy policy to energy taxes. The most pressing issue at hand for clean energy and innovation is the extension […]
The Energy Gang Podcast
Katherine Hamilton, partner and co-founder at 38 North Solutions, has been co-hosting a new podcast, The Energy Gang, with Stephen Lacey, senior editor at Greentech Media, and Jigar Shah, energy futurist and founder of SunEdison. The Gang will tape their first live podcast at Solar Focus in Washington, DC, November 12, with special guest FERC Chairman Jon Wellinghoff. If […]
Congress and Clean Energy: Waiting for Godot?
September marks the end of the fiscal year and the government will shut down on the 30th unless Congress can pass a Continuing Resolution to keep it open for another few months. We are about to hit the nation’s debt ceiling. And another round of across the board sequestration cuts are about to take effect. […]
The Clock: What Time Is It For Clean Energy, Issue 2
In our first issue of the Clock, we set the time at 9 pm based on progress the clean energy industry has seen in the last decade juxtaposed with the challenges we face today. Now, in this second issue, the second quarter of 2013, we will set the Clock at 9:15 pm. We have seen no major setbacks […]
Tax Reform: Will It Stay or Will It Go?
After years of failed attempts to overhaul the tax code, it appears that Congress may finally be getting serious about reform. Earlier this year, Representative Dave Camp (R-MI), Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, set up several working groups and took public comments that were compiled into an enormous catalogue by Joint Committee […]
President’s Energy Blueprint: Doing More With Less
The President released his blueprint today with language that has noticeably evolved to reflect the sequester mindset now in Congress—the need to lower government costs. Phrases like “double…energy productivity”, “cut energy waste”, “safe and responsible…clean and secure energy future” follow the theme of doing more with less. His current proposals are modest, building on current […]